There is a myth that in order to succeed in football you need to be tall enough. This myth was successfully defeated by many players. But can a goalkeeper with a middle height and without impressive physique be a successful football player? Of course the height plays an important role in keeper’s career. But a good rule of thumb is it’s not necessary. Even if the keeper is less than 190 cm it doesn’t prevent him from achieving success and playing reliably. 

In this article I’ve checked the goalkeeper’s who will appear in the squad in this Champions League and found out who is the smallest. Here is the top-5 the smallest goalkeepers at The Champions League 18/19

Kostas Lamprou (Ajax) 178 cm

Kostas Lamprou is a Greek footballplayer. He was born in Athens on September 18 in 1991. Kostas was just about 13 when he left Greece for the Netherlands. The reason of his early leaving is the invitation of Ajax. And it was not in vain. Despite his height he succeed a lot and made a fantastic impression on manager and fans.

The former Sparta Rotterdam and PSV goalkeeper Pim Doesburg once said: "Lamprou is a fantastic keeper. I think he'll have to surrender his spot, management will prefer Mulder. He has a good kick, good reflexes. They tell him he is too short. That's ridiculous. Lamprou has incredible leaping ability.

On 2 July 2018 he signed the contract with Ajax until the end of the season and got into the squad of the Champions League.

David Ospina (Napoli) 183 cm

David Ospina is a Colombian footballer. He is London Arsenal goalkeeper playing for Napoli on-loan and representing the Colombian national team. David began his professional career in one of the strongest Colombian football clubs at the age of 17. And his height didn’t prevent him from moving to London in 2014. And in 2018 Napoli announced the transfer of the Colombian from Arsenal on-loan until the end of the current season. 183 cm is not a problem for David and he proves this playing for the top clubs and national team.

Luca Fernández (Real Madrid) 183 cm

Luca is a young French footballer and Real Madrid’s goalkeeper . He became a Champion of Europe in the age category up to 17 years. And it’s not a secret that he is the son of the famous football player Zinedine Zidane. Although he is not as tall as the goalkeepers used to be the Spanish experts note that Luka perfectly combines flexibility and physical strength. Plus Luka has a good goalkeeper technique for his age, plays well with his feet and he is able to give the ball accurately and well-timed. These qualities make him one of the best goalkeepers in Real Madrid.

Dario Marzino (BSC Young Boys)184 cm

Dario is a bit older than Luka Zidan and a bit higher. But his results and achievement are a bit worse than Luka’s. He started training in Switzerland in his childhood. And the contract with Young Boys in July 2015 became the best result in his career. Moreover Dario is the third goalkeeper at Young Boys. Anyway the contract is till 2021 and Dario is in the squad for this Champions League. So he has many chances to approve himself.

Iker Casillas (FC Porto) 185 cm

Iker Casillas Fernandes was born on May 20 in 1981 in Madrid and spent most of his career in Real Madrid where he appeared at the age of eight. But wait a minute. Is there any necessity to write about Iker’s talent and achievement. His example is the best one to prove that being a fantastic keeper doesn't mean being 2 meters high. The fans adore him and his talent so much that in his hometown Sport Avenue was renamed to Iker Casillas Avenue in 2012.